


6.

by orphan_account



Category: K-pop, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, King seungcheol, Mentioned Wen Jun Hui | Jun, POV Second Person, Slight fluff?, but it's a cameo, childhood friends meet again, historical fiction - Freeform, history au, horses and carriges + everything steampunk-y, short story-ish?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-12-01 21:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11495577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A historical AU in which the reader is indentured by a group of slavers and Yoon Jeonghan, unexpectedly comes to the rescue.





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of horse hooves pounded off the cobblestones, revealing the entrance of some wealthy man riding into the small town in which you lived in- Onyx, in the country of Ellesthaven.

Men, women, and children bundled up in groups and stared out their windows or doors with widened eyes, curious at the noise of a carriage. Onyx was not the richest town, flourishing off of money made by lowly merchants and honest farmers, so when carriages entered town, it meant business and money to be made, and occasionally even old scores that needed to be settled and were to become the talk of the town very soon.

You grabbed the hat off of the peg rack that hung next to the door of your workplace as you pulled it open and into the dust-filled road and the bells on the door chimed their goodbyes.

The world outside bustled with people and the few items they thought that they could sell for some good money. But now as you looked around, you realized that most families were yet to come out.

One sniff at the air gave it away. The wind was lined with the tangy and earthy smell of rain. Mothers did not wish to mingle in a day with bad weather- they said that their superstitions about trading on overcast days were all dull like the sky itself. But you never should walk away from a possible negotiation or good wager, and most of the fathers knew that. Truthfully, every good merchant knew it as well as their own birth names, and only some were brave enough to defy their wives and mothers. For you, there was no one to worry about.

The restless wind blew strands of hair into your face and tried to pry your hat off, so you gripped onto its brim as the carriage halted to a silent stop. As far as you could tell, it was a British Brougham, its body a slick black and styled with red curtains and rims on its fine tires.

The Coachman cleared his throat as he pulled out a piece of thin parchment from the small pocket of his coat. He surveyed the crowd with one long glance, stopping at you.

His voice boomed through the silent town. “Your presence is requested, ma’am.”

You look around, sure that it was not you who he spoke to. Who would want to talk to you and what for? But the Coachman only frowned as he replied, “We are short on time, Ma’am, so please do hurry.”

There were no other _ma'am's_ present here, you realize. You hesitantly walk towards the carriage, aware of all the eyes on you, eyeing you like you had won a prize although you felt nothing like it. You couldn’t help but remember the day a slaver had mugged you, about 6 years ago, telling you to work off an amount that only grew and constructing a loop of due amounts of money from which you would never be free of, or so it seemed.

You noticed the stallions too: both were groomed not long ago and had a beautiful coat of burnt caramel. Whoever was requesting your presence was someone well-known, maybe even royalty. _It can’t be anything bad_ , you told yourself, biting your bottom lip out of habit.

As you climb onto the step, a hand juts out of the ajar door, beckoning you to accept it and help you up and into the carriage. You accept it gratefully, only to be yanked into the fairly small room and be only an arm's length away from a seemingly familiar face.

Your eyes locked onto his dark brown ones, the widened pools of coffee, and a glint of surprise flashed through them. For only a moment, it seemed that no one dared to breathe against the now-moving carriage.

The boy blinked, straightening himself with stiff movements as he motioned for you to sit on the seat. He looked startled to say the least, and positioned himself at the other end of the passenger’s seat. Having blonde and slightly messy hair, he had the charming look of a boy king, one who wouldn’t hesitate to make his kingdom despise him if it meant fixing the government.

You swallow down the warmth tugging at the bridge of your nose and neck, wondering what in the world was going on.

Before you could ask, the boy knocked on the window behind the driver’s seat and mouthed something indiscernible. The man nodded, and you could feel the tremor of the wheels against the cobblestones dim down to a more comfortable pace.

“So,” you begin, as he turned to face you, “What business do you have with me?”

Something in his eyes vanished and his shoulders sank the slightest bit. His eyes had more anger and fatigue in them now, and you watch his movements in confusion and concern. His actions were ones you could predict, as though you were rereading a storybook.

You knew something was on, but it was his voice that told you enough.

“Six years. What did they do to you?” in a smaller voice, with a bitter tone he added, “Have you forgotten?”

You let out a gasp as you looked at him now, with different eyes.

Memories flooded your brain, one after the other, like an ocean wave crashing onto you and knocking you off of your feet. Flying kites, sharing a slice of bread, _You can’t catch me!_ , a broken jar of jam Mother had bought- there was so much. You stand, backing up against the door. Tears threatened to roll down as you spoke the name that you had spoken so many times before.

“Jeonghan.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Let's have a chat, shall we?"

Jeonghan stood, his eyes never leaving yours as he clutched the seat handle to balance himself in the moving carriage. There were only a few steps of space between the two, but it felt like miles. Miles of unknown. Miles of memories not shared and time not witnessed.

In Onyx, you were a girl without a family, and someone without any history or intent of making any. To feel a familiar touch and hear a known voice felt like a gift from the heavens.

Some tears escaped, blurring the sight of Jeonghan. But it didn’t stop you from feeling him pull you into his arms and squeeze you into a hug.

The warmth that spread was like a flower, blooming in your heart and spreading a strange reaction. As your shoulders sunk, you wrapped your hands around him, sinking into the embrace that was far from what one considered ladylike. But none of those worries reached Jeonghan. He could only notice your tears and pray that they went away.

It had been 6 years since you had smelled the scent of home, of Geldwin. It felt like a drug now, and it came from Jeonghan’s coat. You wanted to be enveloped in the smell of home forever, in the charred-wood scent that Geldwin possessed.

 _Was it still the same?_ Was it still the mud-lined roads that owned your heart? For you were sure of one thing: you had changed. So was it not likely that the people and places that owned your heart had forgotten about you?

“Did they hurt you?” his voice interrupted your thoughts.

Jeonghan’s cheek was pressed against your head, so the words reverberated off of your skull. It was one of the many admirable traits of his perhaps, that just in those few seconds he could make someone feel so at home and as though no awkwardness had ever had the time to grow on them. Unlike the day-to-day bashfulness that a woman felt towards hugging a man, it felt fine with Jeonghan. Then again, you were only nine years old the last time he had hugged you.

There were unmistakably new feelings now- but what they were was disconcerting. It was like the hum of a fluttering bird who had built its nest in your heart, mistaking it for a tree.

You pulled away, staring into the depths of his eyes. “Nothing that can’t heal with time,” you said.

Jeonghan blinked, realizing in time that you had just answered his question. “That’s good,” he muttered. He shuffled his gaze away, as though suddenly shy.

“Let’s sit and chat some, shall we? How did it happen?” Jeonghan asked. So much had happened in between that you didn't know where to begin.

You decided to begin with the important first.

“The slavers got a hold of me when I went out to get ingredients to cook for Father. I was too naive … too young to understand that the end of the war between and our country, Ellesthaven, and Ravalle didn’t mean the beginning of peace. So when a man said he’d get me the freshest vegetables available and some hot bread, I took the bait as simply as how a mouse falls into a trap while gazing at a piece of cheese.” You take a deep breath wishing to run away from the images of it that flash through your mind. “I heard the man taking me speak to another man who said they’d be docking at 12, so I supposed they wanted me as their cook in their slaver ship. The man taking me, uh, didn’t make it though,” you said embarrassedly, not meeting his eyes.

Both of Jeonghan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Didn't make it?”

“I didn’t think it would kill him, _I didn't want to kill him_ , to be honest.” you replied quickly, hoping he wouldn’t misunderstand you to be of the murderous sort. “I was blindfolded and my wrists were bound together with fine rope while he was taking me by the carriage, so I used my foot to knock him down. There was an edge on the carriage seat that was sharp, so I took it out. It must have been a hidden knife to threaten the slaves they took. I still don’t know how deep or where I had cut him. At that point, I was just swinging the small blade everywhere, and the man threatened that he’d kick me out of the fast-moving carriage if I didn't stop. So I threw the blade in the direction of his voice. But to be honest I don't remember much of what happened next. I was out of my mind, yelling and screaming as though the only word I knew was _escape_. I recall prodding around frantically to find the blade again. When I finally did, I suppose luck was on my side, for I found it stuck to the man.” you swallowed, grimacing at the thought of it all. “After that, I had enough time to use the blade to cut away the rope and blindfold.”

Jeonghan’s expression was unreadable. So you went on. “When I … saw the dead body, I felt like a monster. My hands were covered in blood, probably from the time I was searching the area for the blade. It’s likely that I touched his coughed up blood too. When they saw me, they thought they couldn't trust me with working at a kitchen, so they made me clean dishes. I know it was for the best, but I can’t help but feel pity for the man.” you said, your voice having a rougher tone than you liked.

“Pity for a slaver? Don’t beat yourself up for it. You- of all people-  know better than anyone that it was necessary.” Jeonghan grumbled, his tone unnaturally bitter.

You blinked, the corners of your mouth tilting slightly up. “Yoon Jeonghan,” you pause, narrowing your eyes. “Are you in a sullen mood or are you just angry?”

He straightened himself. “A modern-boy like me? Angry?” he tutted away, and the flame in his eyes seemed to die down a little. “What in hell would I be angry for?”

“I wouldn’t know. You could be angry at a dead man, for all I know.” you respond with a chuckle. Jeonghan’s cheeks rise, stifling a laugh.

“To be quite honest,” he starts, clearing his throat to shift to a more serious manner. “I’m proud.”

Your eyebrows furrow. “Proud of the death of a the man? Jeonghan, who exactly are you?” you say with a grin that seems to hang ear to ear.

“Proud that you were able to defend yourself, silly.”

“Proud of me? Well, that’s a first.”

He shrugged, a flicker in his eyes as he spoke. “A lot of things have changed, have they not?"

You nodded, not minding his odd nature to be peculiar. At that moment, a knock sounded on the window, startling both of you.

Jeonghan gave you a small smile. “Looks like we’ve arrived.”

As you open your mouth to ask where he was taking you, the door opened to two men in matching extravagant suits and top hats. Both of the coachmen tipped their hats down and bowed to both of you.

“Thank you, sirs, but you can be off to your businesses now.” Jeonghan voiced as he hopped off first and motioned you to follow, holding a hand out to assist you down.

As you gratefully accept his hand and walk down, the Coachman standing next to Jeonghan whispered, “No wonder you spent so much money and time trying to find her. She’s quite a sight.”

Jeonghan’s glare was heated as he replied to the young coachman. “Jun, if you say another word about her or to her, and i’ll make sure to write using the worst words in the letter to your captain. Understood?”

The coachman straightened himself, coughing. “Yes sir.” and then added a small smile. “Someone’s a bit protective over the love of their life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking this long to update this!! and I might turn this into a series so that each work is a historical svt au. Please let me know if I should do something like that or not!


	3. Chapter 3

_ Bakeries.  _ You loved them more than anything.

The smell of the fresh breads and pastries was irresistible. You wondered if it was purely coincidence, or if Jeonghan had taken you here because he remembered your sentiment about this place.

As he bought  two slices of cake, you looked around. You were at Geldwin’s only bakery, the place you once dreamt of working at. 

The room was lined with elegant white lace curtains, and was usually a busy place but today seemed to be different. Perhaps it was the rain would start any minute, making it impossible for anyone to come without the worries of getting wet.

“Do you remember?” you whisper, glancing at the boy who at before you. 

Jeonghan grinned, putting a forkful of cake into his mouth. “The fact that you loved this bakery more than anything in the world? Possibly.” 

You take a bite of your own slice of cake, curious at what was going on. “Tell me Jeonghan. Why did you come? What were you up to, all these years?”

He put the fork down and sifted through some papers in his large coat pocket. When he found the paper with the small blue wax stamp, he handed it to you.

“What is this …” you muse, breaking the seal as you look inside. 

 

_ … ‘s indenture cost has been paid off.   _

 

Your eyes widened, unbelieving what stood in front of you. “Is this real?”

Jeonghan crossed his arms. “As real as it can get. Your father wanted to get the money as fast as he could, so I assisted him a bit, although my help ended up taking more time than I had anticipated.” he paused, continuing dismally. “He wanted to make a betrothal contract to the prince, and he was ready to accept. But it … didn't seem right. What would the difference be from a forced betrothal and being enslaved?” 

He ran a hand through his longish blonde hair, not meeting your eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault for making those decisions for you. Or else you might have been freed a year ago.”

You shook your head, unable to believe that everything that was going on was not a scene from a film, but the truth. Was this truly the boy you used to fool around with as a child? It was as though your heart had reached its maximum, it felt so full. “I …  I can’t thank you enough. You were right to do that.” you took one of his hands into yours and gave it a squeeze. “Where did you get the money from though? And it’s all legal money, right?”

Jeonghan grinned, gazing down at the two of your hands, the happiness reaching his eyes too. “I’m a gentleman now. To get the money, I decided that it’d be best if I work for the king, so I took the challenge to become the prince’s second in hand and befriended the Prince Seungcheol himself.”

“You’ve gone far, haven’t you,” you chuckled softly. Something still did not seem right. Who would waste so much for a girl like you, who would dedicate so much for a mere friend? 

“Why did you do it, Jeonghan? Why do all that to free me?” Breathing out a sigh, you continued. “For it seems strange to think that the boy who doesn’t like to waste a penny worked this hard to free a childhood  _ friend _ . You could have easily let father do as he wished. Do you want something from me?”

To that, Jeonghan knew no answer.

To be honest, he had asked the question many times to himself, only to put away that thought. Even the Prince, Cheol- who was possibly his closest friend now,  had asked about it.

  
  


_ “You seem to care a lot about her. Why is that, Jeonghan?” _

_ “I don’t know why. I just … feel like I need to protect her. I know there are a lot of people out there who could do that for her- even you if you had betrothed her- but … I want to be the one. I want to be the one she’ll feel comfortable in front of. I’ve always felt that way; even as a kid.” _

_ Seungcheol smiled. “You must love her a lot, then. How is she like?” _

_“I … I suppose so. She’s full of passion, you know. It makes you feel inspired too. And she was so cute; I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s breathtakingly beautiful now. She wasn’t that outgoing, so most people didn't know much about her.”_ _  
__“When I had to move to the borders of Geldwin to find work, we had to say our goodbyes, and she promised that she’d write to me and i’d write back. Then one week, I stopped getting anything. So I took my bicycle out and rode to her father’s house, only to hear that she had gone missing. I think half of me had gone mad at that point, for I had searched the whole town for her, skipping all meals and even searching at nighttime. Then we heard from a neighbor that the Wings, the slaver group, had taken her. It broke me to think that I couldn’t protect her.”_

_ Cheol shook his head. “It was beyond your control, so there’s no point in taking the blame. I guess it’s good that we’ve become friends; and i’m glad I could help with the carriage and finding her location. Do bring her to the kingdom one day, i’d love to meet her.” _

_ “Thank you- and I will. I am indebted to your kindness.” _

_ “Do not worry about those things. Now go save your damsel in distress, dear friend.” _

_ Jeonghan chuckled softly. “She is nowhere near that. Maybe in distress, yes, but she’s such a courageous person.” _

  
  


“I don’t know why I did it,” Jeonghan lied as he stood up. “Come on, let’s go to your father’s place. He must be waiting to see you agai-”

As you stood up and he was about to lead the way out, you grabbed his wrist. You didn’t know what it was that drove you or what you wanted from him after he had given you so much. It was just an instinct that made your insides twist up and feel as though the world had begun spinning the other way.

You stared into the depths of his dilated eyes, the color like warm, melted chocolate. None of you seemed to dare to blink of utter another syllable, as though it was a silent conversation of understanding or promise between the two of you. 

You took a small step forward, testing his waters. He blinked, but didn’t move or look away. 

Instead, he shifted his hand to entwine the two of your hands together.  You felt the bridge of your nose and cheek heat up as you sensed the hummingbird of a heart you had wake up with a jolt of realization.

You opened your mouth. Once- and then twice. It was as though you had forgotten how to form words.

“Is that why?” you spoke under your breath, looking away. Even as you shifted your gaze, you could sense him observing silently, as though trying to find a sign.

“Conceivably,” Jeonghan muttered, using the back of his hand to lift your chin to veer your gaze and meet his eyes again. As his hand caressed your jaw, it felt as though you were as stagnant as a block of ice- fragile and melting slowly.

“Your eyelashes are pretty,” you murmur.

Jeonghan laughs softly and presses a soft peck of a kiss onto your cheek, his eyes gleaming in their own magical way. “Thank you,” he replies softly. “Now let’s go to your father’s cottage before he gets angry.”

You nodded, following him out of the bakery and into the chilly outside air where a mist had fallen, signaling the beginning of a long rain. 

“Are you cold?” Jeonghan asked politely. You shook your head, still unable to form words properly after that slight kiss. It wasn’t anything big, but just the thought of it made your cheeks feel warm and your heart feel like a thousand flower petals. 

As if on cue, he slung a hand over your shoulder, warmth radiating off of him. “Jeonghan,” you whisper, “this is  _ not _ a good idea.”

“Hmm…” he responded, as though only half listening, “Why not?”

You pursed your lips. “What would people say if they saw us like this- and walking in this way through my father’s home would not be a good idea either.”

“What if I told you … “ he gave you a sidelong glance, pausing, “... that part of the reason I didn’t want the prince to betroth you was because I had a bit of a selfish thought?”

“What does this have to do with being selfish- oh.” your cheeks turned a scarlet red, and Jeonghan burst into a laugh, continuing. 

“I don’t expect you to return my feelings soon and don’t want you to feel any pressure. It’s up to you and even if you don’t say yes, i’ll be fine. I will gladly accept you as a friend, too.”

You glanced at him, wondering what to say. “I like you a lot, Yoon Jeonghan, but now is not the time to ride into town with-”

“(Y/N) !!” A familiar gruff voice yelled, making you jump.

"Father?"


	4. Chapter 4

Your heart felt as though it would blow up any minute. Even though there had been times where you cried because of him or wanted to run away from home because of  his benighted and insensitive personality, he was still your father. He had been the one to provide you with food when your mother had passed away, when you were at the mere age of eleven. 

He ran over to you, looking over and taking your hands into his. His face was unreadable as always, but at least he seemed to be alright. 

“Good to have you back.” he responded. From him, that was as good as a bouquet of flowers, so you smiled at him.

Yet, it felt strange.

“Go in. I need to speak with Jeonghan.” Father said with the rough burn of his voice. Noticing how he was starting to undo his belt with the furrow of his brow, your breath stuck to your throat as the realization set in.

When you thought about it, it was possible that you had more memories with Jeonghan than with him. He had always been cold and aloof, never uttering anything other than orders. Jeonghan was the exact opposite- teaching you how to climb a tree and fly a kite, letting you borrow one of his coats when it was a cold day out and Father hadn’t bothered to get you anything warm to wear- because all of the money had been spent on his alcohol. And Jeonghan let you have a shoulder to cry on and someone to voice your worries to. That was the biggest bit.

As your father now pulled out his belt and strutted towards him, you hesitantly grabbed his wrist, unsure as to how he’d react. 

“Y/N.” Father spoke through gritted teeth, “Money would’ve been made in the last year, if not for this fool. So i’m doing this for the best.”

The joy that you had felt only moments age was now replaced by desperate, hot fury. “The alcohol has gotten to your head, has it not, Father? Please tell me you haven’t been living on drinks.” You swallow.

Jeonghan looked surprised at your outburst, which was understandable considering how you had never spoken a word against him. Your voice definitely wavered, but that didn't mask the anger beneath all of it. You felt compelled to fight back to his stupid antics, and he could see it.

The man huffed, his annoyance as visible as rocks through seawater. “Do you want me to beat the disrespect out of you too? Get out.”

Tears stung your eyes, unbelieving that such a man could be your own father. Thinking back on it, you should have expected it; as much as the world had changed, it had stayed the exact same. 

Jeonghan noticed how dangerous it was about to become, knowing that the old man would never beat his own daughter, but he would continue to hurt her feelings, so he slid his hand into yours, sparing a glance only a second before starting off into a run and away from the clearing.

Hands attached, you follow out wordlessly, wiping your eyes and letting your legs run to their fullest capability although startled at his actions. The wind was cold against the two of your fast-moving figures, and the merchants and families walking by were a blur. Ladies seemed to have their mouth agape at the sight of the two of your hands and the fact that I was running in such a ungraceful manner, and some men let out warning shouts as Jeonghan made poultry and fruit fly into their clean stalls.

A soft sound escaped from Jeonghan’s lips, and for the briefest moment you wondered if you had imagined it. Then you felt him let your hand slip free, and a glance at him takes you back to childhood.

Jeonghan was smiling like a fool, his grin contagious as ever. He jumped over crates and barrels, laughing as though he was in a different dimension, where he could only see you. It took you back to the memory of when the two of you had ran down the very same street to catch a baby chick on the loose.

You felt your steps getting lighter with each passing second, the exhilaration that Jeonghan had been feeling now catching up to you. It was somehow so magical and beautiful, how these moments woven together like mountains that had ups and downs could be so much better with him by your side.

Jeonghan raced back to your side again and couldn't help but smile at the sight out you. He hoped that things would be better from now on, and that whatever happened, he would be able to protect you and be there, because if he had one wish, that would be it.

 

_ When we were young, we used to live so close to it _

_ And we were scared and we were beautiful _

_ And when I peered over the edge and seen death, if we are always the same _

_ Oh, and I feel that nothing in life could ever be like this again _

_ Because your love kept me alive and made me insane. _

 

end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AA so this is finally done!! So unfortunately the last chapter turned out to be very strange and I had a lot of difficulties while writing it, but I hope all you readers enjoyed it! Please leave some comments about your favorite part and/or if I should continue to make it something bigger. 
> 
> And side note: the song that inspired me to write this is Realiti by Grimes (and the last italicized part is the lyrics from it) Hope you all enjoyed reading this and thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed it, please do leave some comments! I love seeing responses to my writing. And I'll update as regularly as I can ^^


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